1. Field
Aspects of the invention relate to gearshift levers for vehicles, and more particularly to gearshift lever control arrangements for motor vehicles.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Gearshift levers are known in the art. By way of example, DE 100 02 441 A1 describes one type of gear shift lever. Gearshift knobs that have more than two control and/or functional elements are also known, for example from DE 100 25 357 A1 and FR 2 071 184.
There is a trend in the automotive industry for greater numbers of functional and/or control elements to be integrated into gearshift knobs. As the number of functional and/or control elements is increased, the number of leads required to connect the functional and/or control elements to the remaining electric/electronic system of the vehicle also increases.
The increased number of leads required to connect increased numbers of functional and/or control elements in a gear knob to the remaining electric/electronic system of the vehicle raises design issues. Hollow gearshift rods in motor vehicles may have limited room for the passage of wires, as space in such gearshift rods is often limited by existing designs of the bearing block or by limited space available in a vehicle. When several functional and/or control elements are integrated in the gearshift knob, the required wiring may not fit properly, e.g., inside of the hollow gearshift rod. This may be particularly problematic if the existing cross-section of a gearshift rod is maintained so that the bearing block of the vehicle does not have to be completely redesigned.
Multiple leads may be routed outside of the gearshift rod to the electric/electronic system of the vehicle. However, such a configuration may subject the leads to damage when the gearshift is moved, or when other components rub against the gearshift.